AITOR KARANKA paid tribute to his Middlesbrough players after losing an extraordinary penalty shoot-out at Anfield last night when it required an astonishing 30 spot-kicks to settle the third round tie.

Boro winger Albert Adomah, who had scored his initial penalty before the rota had gone full circle, was the unfortunate man to miss the crucial last one and that was only the third not to have been scored in front of the Kop.

It was a staggering turn of events, which also included missed penalties from Patrick Bamford and Raheem Sterling before sudden-death ensued, and Karanka could not believe what he had witnessed at Anfield.

But a lacklustre Liverpool, who let a lead slip twice, emerged 14-13 winners to secure a fourth round spot and leave Middlesbrough defeated but far from deflated.

Karanka, whose priority this season is to get promotion to the Premier League, said: “I'm very proud. It's the kind of game you have to be proud of your players and club; about everything.

“I don't have words to explain my feelings now. I've never experienced anything like that before.

“We have played against a Champions League team at Anfield, and we know how difficult this is and we've met them face to face.

“We have another game on Saturday in the league against Charlton, and we have to enjoy that. We have lost this but we can say we enjoyed this. For some it was the first time to Anfield, and now our focus is the league.”

Middlesbrough forced the game to extra-time when Adam Reach’s 62nd minute header cancelled out Jordan Rossiter’s early opener. When Suso put the Reds back in front in extra-time the game should have been won, but then Kolo Toure bundled Bamford over in the box deep in to stoppage-time to give Boro a lifeline. Bamford delivered.

Liverpool were given a really difficult night by Middlesbrough, who have won their last three in the Championship, and Karanka wants to see that sort of quality in every game.

He said: “Of course I will expect this level of performance (every week). If we can continue playing in this way we can be a good position in the table. Always, though, we must keep our feet on the floor.

“I thought the players before the game were organised, we knew we could create Liverpool problems because they were not in good form in the league.

“But we know it's tough to play them - it's Liverpool, Anfield, a good coach and the crowd. We had chances to score. I felt we could create chances because we could take advantage in their spaces. We have players experienced to get into the spaces and score goals.”

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers was a relieved man and hailed the standards set by Middlesbrough.

Rodgers said: “There was real good quality on the penalties and you can see why Middlesbrough are up near the top of the Championship. When it was needed the players showed wonderful composure and you can see why.

“It was disappointing with the first goal, even more so with the second, we were in control of the game and Middlesbrough’s legs had just about gone but we gave away the goal sloppily and gave away the penalty.

“We persevered. It’s good to win and no matter how you do it. We gave the ball away sloppily, we made it hard for ourselves. In the end it is job done, we are through. We beat Middlesbrough and well done for us.”

WHILE Middlesbrough's exploits were a record in the League Cup, there have been several even longer shootouts in footballing history.

In the 2008/9 season, Greek sides Olympic Piraeus and AEK Athens, below, fought out a dramatic shootout with Olympic coming out winners 15-14 after the game ended 4-4.

Domestically, Brockenhurst and Andover Town set a new record as they scored 29 consecutive penalties in a shoot-out in the Hampshire Senior Cup.

In 2011 Dagenham & Redbridge beat Leyton Orient after 27 consecutive kicks were scored in their Johnstone's Paint Trophy Tie in 2011.